Corrected & Connected in Cyber Space Interface

[Frenetic Raptor]

A new day full of uncertainty and anticipation… a lengthy evening full of relaxation and tranquility… and a nightly dinner arrangement devoid of any significant socialization. A day that looked so promising proved to be much more of a bummer than Sheela initially realized. After hugging and bidding Sasha goodnight, Sheela found herself fully awake, unable to fall asleep. With only but the luminescent glow of her phone as her only company, she kept her restless mind occupied and her hasty fingers at the ready. Amongst the darkened silence she took to typing a speculative text message in hopes of finding her brother awake as well. Part of her still worried about the future and what it would hold for every one of them. Anything was possible, right? There she remained, lying in wait for any kind of answer.

For Nicholas, peaceful dreams were beckoning. At least, that is what he had hoped to accomplish. His phone thought otherwise, impeding any further advances into a welcoming dreamland. I knew I should have turned the darn thing off. What did his little sister want from him now? Did she even realize what time of night it was? Ok, maybe it wasn’t that late, but still, that wasn’t the point. The message better contain some importance, at the very minimum. Quickly finding and opening the text, he silenced his own amusing thoughts. What was he going to do with her, being so irrational? Nicholas responded with a simple text, taking his time to say goodnight, and to tell her not to worry so much.

As Nicholas remained half asleep, his ears picked up the familiar sounds of a ringtone, most likely from that of Nathan’s phone. An unexpected knock upon Devon’s door followed shortly as a sense of intrigue heightened around the unconfirmed. Remaining quiet, his highly curious mind took great interest as to the origin of this unidentified message and what was truly going on. Of course, Nicholas would not intrude and would patiently wait until the arrival of morning to figure out what was really happening. There had to be some logical explanation for Nathan’s sudden departure in the middle of the night. First Rey, and now Nathan; there was no doubt important business was taking place, unaware to him and possibly the girls.

Not wishing to wrack his own weary brain, his heavy eyes closed as his mind drifted towards its beckoning dreamscape. With the silence of tranquility holding prominence and every worry tossed aside for another day, the moon kept watch from beyond; its muted glow intermittently peaking through the wavering clouds. Dawn’s arrival brought only more of the same, from the day before; overcast with little chance of sunshine to brighten up the uncertain horizon to come. Answers were sure to appear in time, though would any of them really make sense in the end? One realization was for certain; Nathan was truly gone, occupied with an urgent, albeit rather vague agenda - so Devon mentioned.

At the ready, Sheela waited in standby until Devon and her brother made their appearance. What she didn’t expect accompanying their arrival was a surprising text from Nelwa. They were actually going to visit her place of residence. How cool was that? Realizing she was getting high hopes again, Sheela brought herself down to reality; focusing on developing serious matters. She couldn’t believe Nathan would leave them. Everything would be alright, wouldn’t it, and Nathan would remain safe in Nelwa’s care? She sure hoped so. Recreational activities placed on hold, she followed along with the remaining members of the group to finally meet with Nelwa in person.

Arriving at the outskirts of Aomori, Nelwa’s residence revealed itself within Sheela’s sights. Though the overall appearance proved technologically lacking she took more to the natural appeal, admiring the scenery. On Eric’s command to venture along inside, she let her eyes wander. Once inside Nelwa’s chamber, they were greeted by Nelwa herself; a great honor indeed. Her words brought relief to hear Nathan and Rey were safe and were both working on reinstating their Gvn positions. Already? Could all of this really work out in their favor? Sheela was also pleased to discover that Vypr would be getting the much needed assistance required to get her life back together.

Amongst all of these feelings of optimism, Nicholas pondered over the idea of acquiring six new recruits. He sure hoped they were prepared for what they were getting themselves into. Then again, if Nelwa was involved in these particular selections, they must have all been highly qualified candidates. He would lend his trust to Nelwa for the time being. Besides, going against Nelwa was like going against their leader... There was a moment of silence, thoughts ceasing at the sudden realization. Did she really speak the truth? A future Sasha, originating from their own timeline of events? How was that even possible? Fully functioning time travel? Even Nicholas was impressed.

Sheela was left to stare in amazement at Sasha’s reaction to her future self, stumbling upon one revelation after another. Good fortune must have certainly taken an attraction to her through time. Where would that leave Sheela of all people, along with her brother? Would they both be just as successful? Anything less than what Sasha was able to accomplish would be nothing more than a letdown. Interest piqued upon Sasha’s inquiring words, surrounding Sheela and her brother’s future. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the cold hard truth. So, we both are doing fine, that’s good to hear.

That was only the first part of the situation. What Sheela didn’t know was these devastating rumors that foretold of her attempts at damaging the Breaker image. It didn’t appear to her that the Breakers were the enemies to the well being of the people, but the new age of protectors to the world. Was what they were doing really wrong? Or was the Gvn concealing a malicious agenda behind the people’s backs even in the future that she desperately needed to reveal to the public? Whatever the agenda or the reasoning, there was something very wrong and Nelwa seemed to be only hinting at a much more significant issue. Sheela didn’t wish to be the bad guy in anything. How was she even capable of such a cruel change of heart?

While that specific reality was unfathomable, she moved onward with the others, her mood lightening up at the sight of Nathan making a welcomed appearance. Everything appeared to be moving along nicely. But how long will it be before I find myself in this bad girl role? If there were rumors floating around about her teaming up against the Breakers, would those Breakers already here in the past feel the same and refuse to trust her, or would they try to sway her from this seemingly unforgivable role. Why did she have to find out about this troublesome fact anyway? She didn’t desire any of these complications.

What was Sheela supposed to do to prevent a betrayal of friendship if one were to inevitably occur, unlikely as it once appeared? She knew all too well of Sasha’s persistence, eyeing her, speculating over the worrisome possibilities. Unwilling to believe that she could hold an antagonistic agenda; she spoke aloud, in response to Sasha, her words delicate in their approach. “I know. I can’t really make sense of it myself. I am so confused at the idea.” She let her eyes wander still, feeling awkward. “You think our friendship ended naturally or do you think something really terrible happened to separate us?” A lengthy pause followed as she briefly glanced towards her brother for support.

She already had a hunch before she looked upon Nicholas that this was more or less all about Sasha and Sheela. He would protect her no doubt, though to understand and figure out the answer to this potential problem would involve a deeper involvement between the two alone; the time would be right for him to speak soon enough. “I don’t ever want to end our friendship, but if what she said, about the rumors, is true… what would it take to change the course of the future?” Being in this position was so darn uncomfortable. “At least tell me the truth if I ever overstep my bounds, will you Sasha, please.” She kept her head down, impulsively twiddling her thumbs out of an escalating nervousness. All Sasha had to do was provide her fair warning.

[FoxSVK]

" Mooom, Daaaad, I´m home. "

What a day it was for Alex. It´s true that it was his fault because he stayed up long into the night, way longer then it was recommended, but who could have expected this ? Either he was crazy, or the rest of the world went crazy during the day. Their teachers were mad at the class for things they are not responsible for, his classmates were nervous as well, extraordinarily nervous even for their standards. On top of that, his essay was returned due to " lack of creativity ", as stated by the teacher. His parents greeted them, but he halted any further questions from them, as he was not feeling like spending the evening with them. He went directly for his room, laying down his bag once entered and closed his door. He turned on his computer, the glow of the monitor illuminating the room with it´s blue light. Alex really hoped Karin would be available for a talk, as his mood was somewhat bad now - she was the only person who could cheer him up. And also, he enjoyed their chat seasons a lot. He also wanted her to ask her opinion about the recent increase in Corrector alerts. He picked up his bag for a while and opened it, placing his mobile phone on the table. " Damn Government. Have us working like this without pause and I am supposed to have creativity when I am tired as hell. " he told for himself, scratching his head. His hair was a mess as always, but especially today. After stretching a bit, he decided to take a shower and have something to eat before returning to that damned essay ... and hopefully to a message from Karin.

About twenty minutes later, fresh out of the shower, he got dressed to his home clothes - a plain black t-shirt with his home jeans. Entering the kitchen, seeing his parents were in the living room already, he sat to the table and started to eat alone. His parents wished him a good appetite but they left him alone, knowing it was the best thing to do in these situations. He quickly finished his meal and after cleaning his plate, he went back to his room. " Mom, Dad, I am in my room should you need anything. " he briefly told them. Once closing his doors, he sighed, looking at the essay that awaited him. He sat down to his chair and leaned back in it. It was so comfortable, especially after a hard day like this one. He logged in to check his emails, and he was curious to see one from Nelwa, and also, one from Karin, which made his heart jump a bit. " What could this be ? " he wondered as he was opening the one from Nelwa. As he was reading it, he sighed once more. He was to travel to Aomori, which was quiet the distance, and be there in two days. Good thing the mail was sent in advance, as it was a solid distance, at least a sixteen hour long trip." How the hell will I explain this to my parents especially since I need to leave tomorrow. " he asked himself. But he had no right to complain - he was a Corrector, it was his job to follow the Governments orders. And he will do so. So he opened the email from Karin - it was about Aomori as well, asking if they could travel together. Seeing she was still available, he sent a short reply into her chat window instead of a classic mail, gladly accepting her offer and casually starting a discussion between the two of them, while he was packing. He also launched his music player, to help him with packing.

Alex always hated packing, and especially if it was something unexpected like this. But this case, it was enjoyable - all thanks to Karin. That girl really could cheer him up like nobody else - but this time, he managed to cheer her up as well. That´s what he loved about their conversations. After a few minutes, he opened his travelling suitcase and opened his wardrobe, wondering where to start. He first placed four t-shirts in it, followed by four shirts and a pyjama as well. Next were some jeans, four of them as well, as he was not sure how long will he stay. Rather pack too much then too few of clothing, he thought to himself. He then gathered other stuff he needed - a womb, shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste and a toothbrush, and returned with them to his room. As he was placing the towel inside, there was knock on his door, followed by his Father entering the room. " Am I disturbing you, Alex ? " he asked, looking at him in the middle of packing his stuff. " No, not at all, Dad. Actually, I am glad you came. I need to tell you, I was ... well, I was sent to Aomori by school. Something about our class project. " he told him, thinking up something to conceal the real reason he needed to go there. His father only nodded with a smile. " That´s my son. I will leave you some money and will ask your Mom to prepare you a snack for your trip. But I should not disturb you any longer, you need to finish with packing. And be sure to catch some sleep. " he told him, referring to the last night. " Of course, Dad. Thank you. " he responded, returning to his packing as his Father left. " Well, that went better then expected. "

After finishing with his packing, he started to work on his essay. But he was making any good progress, as he was constantly chatting with Karin. But he was glad it was that way - the essay really annoyed the living hell out from him. He copied the first page, as it was good, but when he wanted to continue his work, he realized he could not, as his creativity was absent again. Or maybe he was too focused on Karin instead. Deciding to call it a day and catch some early sleep, he said his good-bye to Karin, looking forward to travel with her. He turned off his desktop computer, and packed his tablet for the journey, making sure to charge it´s battery beforehand. After changing into pyjama, he checked his phone. No Government orders tonight. " Thank Goodness. " he told as he lied down on his bed. He fell asleep within minutes. He usually had those weird dreams after Government assignments, but luckily, today was an exception. He woke up in the morning at half past eight, with an hour and half left to the departure of the train to Aomori. His parents were already gone, but he found the money his Father mentioned with breakfast and some snack to the road with a message from both of them wishing him good luck. He ate his breakfast with a smile, reading the message from time to time. Finishing with his meal, placed the plate to the dishwasher and went to brush his teeth and get dressed up, as he simply could not stay at home any longer, he was curious what this was about. He got dressed up into his black jeans, a white shirt with a black vest on it, and on top of that, his blue coat. He grabbed his wallet, with the money from his Father already in it, put the snack into his bag and checked everything once more. His wallet in his pocket, together with his mobile phone were in place, his earplugs as well. Ready to set out.

He arrived to the train station rather quickly and bought his ticket, heading to the train. Seeing Karin was not here, but that the train was almost empty, he opted to wait outside. She arrived a ten minutes later - pretty as always, with her cute smile catching his eyes as he approached her. " Hi there, Smiley. You look well today. Nice to see you again. " he greeted her, as they hugged each other. " Hello, handsome. Nice to see you as well. Thank you for travelling with me. " she replied, giving him a shy smile. He felt a slight blush, so he hinted them to get on the train. They found some good seats and after placing their baggage above their heads, they continued to talk as the train departed. They talked and talked, and without any notice, two hours passed away like nothing. They always had something to talk about, so it was not the issue. He then offered her the snack prepared for him - his Mothers homemade dango, which he always enjoyed, just like now. Karin enjoyed them as well, praising his Mother´s skills with cooking. Mentioning she was tired, she told him about getting some sleep before arriving. Before he could react, she nuzzled on his shoulder and closed her eyes, smiling. " Well. Not that I have the choice. " he though to himself, as he checked his phone, seeing another mail. Again, it was from Nelwa - it contained the exact place he had to arrive in Aomori. Upon reading it, he placed his phone on the small desk and reached for his essay, starting to write it again. From time to time, he looked at Karin - she really fell asleep. He kept looking on her frequently, often leaving his eyes on her face for a few minutes. Without any notice of time, the essay was done in no time - this time, he was satisfied with it. He checked the clock - they were about in the middle of the trip. Seeing Karin still asleep, he decided to take a nap as well, falling asleep within minutes, feeling really comfortable.

He woke up some hours later. He tried not to move, as he still felt her head on his chest. Alex remained steady, without any movement, he only checked his phone - he slept through the half of the trip, they were one hour away from Aomori. About thirty minutes later, Karin woke up - she looked adorable right now, and Alex could hardly hide his blushing. He informed her about them reaching Aomori shortly, and she thanked him, letting her head falling to his shoulder once again. Thirty minutes later, they arrived to the Aomori Railway Station - he helped with her baggage and lead them out of the station to catch a cab. A few minutes later, they were seated and on their way to Nelwa. It was about twenty minutes of driving from the station. His mind was racing as his meeting with Nelwa was approaching, and judging from the looks, Karin´s mind was racing as well. " What could be serious enough that she sent me such a mail. To hurry up and get there as fast as I could. This could mean nothing good. Or maybe I am just overreacting things again. Who knows, I will find out soon. But I am curious as well. " he thought to himself, just as the cab arrived to the destination - a large house on the outskirts of Aomori. Alex paid for the cab and got out, helping them with their baggage, enjoying the view the house offered. " Wow. So this is Nelwa´s place. Talk about style. " he told out loud, with Karin only nodding, they slowly walked up to the doors, looking around. It was hard to tell if there was anybody else there, but he expected to meet his fellow Correctors here. " So ... let´s find out what´s this about. " he said as he knocked on the door, waiting for somebody to open it.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and a woman stood there, she introduced herself as Rey. Without any further interaction, she mentioned them to enter and they did just so, pulling his baggage with him. The house was amazing from the outside, but it was even more amazing from the inside. Not by the luxury - by the comfort it offered. Alex followed Rey, who mentioned that they will be sharing one room. The room reminded him of his own room - two comfortably looking beds, one large desk that could be used by both of them and wardrobes. He closed the door and placed his baggage next to the wardrobe. Karin was already lying on the bed. He lied down as well, closing his eyes for a while, before continuing to talk with Karin. Looking at his phone, he confirmed that there were no Corrector assignments for him, so they just talked the time away, waiting for further instructions from Nelwa.

[Genkai]

Giving Alex and Karin some downtime, Rey went to go check on other issues which had been pushed into her lap. She was coming along nicely already and was glad to be helping in any way she could, as well as keeping her personal goals in mind. Soon she was asked by Nelwa to fetch the two Correctors. She knocked on their door and motioned for them to follow her. She took them down the hall and into a large room with several monitors. She turned around to face them. "You're going to be working alongside my friends, this is a big chance for them as well as yourselves. I just want you all to be safe and to look after one another. I have chosen to remain here with Nelwa and my other partner, Nathan. Our friends have gone through a lot, as I'm sure you've heard rumors or seen footage of the event..." Rey paused and breathed in sharply. "Nelwa has been a big help to us and well..." She paused again, not sure what information would be allowed or not. "Nelwa is getting the others now, but please let me see your phones so I can upgrade the Cnnt application." Rey requested and once she had them, she walked over and sat down in front of the cluster of computers and began to upgrade their devices. When she was done, she got up and handed them back. "I think being a Corrector is a thankless job but...thank you." Rey told them softly as the door opened and in walked Nelwa and the four ex-Correctors.

As Sheela speculated their friendship's eventual decline and demise, Sasha kept trying to push out the very idea but it had been so plainly presented that she had no choice but to think about it. But to believe that she and Sheela might become strangers, even enemies? It was an idea that couldn't stretch around her brain, impossible to fathom and yet, she knew that over the past week or two, she and Sheela had shown signs of distance, even if they were small signs, they still pointed to their lonely future. 'I wonder if a future Sheela will pop up and try to stop future me from doing all this...stuff.' She thought, pout still making her lips pucker in unhappiness. The swirling tension mixed with uncertainty made Devon feel the need to excuse himself to find some fresh air to wake him up from this odd hell. He found himself missing Rey and even Nathan. But it seemed their lives now had to separate from one another. 'Is then when it begins?' Sasha wondered and Sheela spoke, asking for any help or enlightenment on the matter. Considering the event back at Rey's apartment was still fresh in mind, Sasha debated if she should tell Sheela how it had insulted her, how she felt Sheela didn't believe her to be a leader after the chaos of watching death come for them all. After those innocent hackers had been killed. Sasha bit her lower lip, unable to lift her heavy heart. She sincerely hoped something good would happen, as so far, she felt completely crushed.

Devon looked from Sheela to Sasha and wondered how the fate of the world could be put on such a friendship. That's what it appeared like anyway. The blond rubbed his neck and wondered if Nicholas was also feeling a bit lost. He got up and began to pace around the room, stretching his legs. It didn't help the fact he needed fresh air, to get away from everything. Something still needed to be said but he had no idea if he was the person to fill in the gap which was becoming even larger as the awkward seconds ticked by. "Listen," He sighed as he finally stopped himself in back of where Nicholas sat, putting his hands on the back of the couch to lean in a little. "this is a lot to digest for all of us and I know you two girls are under personal-relationship strain but we need to stick together. Rey and Nathan are doing something for this cause and we have to come together as well. Whatever is going on...will make sense soon, just...not yet." Devon said. "Whatever you two need to hash out, will happen at the right time but right now I think we need to be concerned with the present, even if the future is banging on the door, right now, we're here and nowhere else." He reminded them. 'Jeez, Sasha's better at these stupid speeches than I am.' He looked over to her and then to Sheela. "So let's just be the great team we were a year ago or two years ago. Whatever, when we all met years back, we had to put aside difference and focus on what we had in common: our job."

"We may not have a real job yet but-"

"Wait a moment." Nelwa's voice cut Devon off who seemed to be finally hitting its stride. "I have been able to upgrade you four and have been able to hack into the Gvn's Database and have put all of you back where you belong as top Correctors." Nelwa explained. "As I had mentioned before, we have new blood joining you but for now I will put you with the other Correctors to see how you blend, then if things go well, I will quickly add in the other four." She said and motioned for everyone to follow her as she turned and walked out of the room. Devon stood up straight and just followed her out. Sasha stood up and hurried after Devon. Once Sheela and Nicholas followed in line, Nelwa quickened her pace. "While I had originally wanted to cater each upgrade to you personally, I found time was not on our side so I hope these upgrades are to your liking. My hacking had to be done sooner rather than later so I can't very well change anything for now. Be that as it may, I believe I know everyone well enough to put you with a new skill-set and alias that suits you." She said and finally came to a stop down the hall and entered her domain. "Now please give me your phones so I can add on the old Cnnt application." Nelwa said and took their phones and handed them over to Rey who was waiting. Once she had the phones, Rey started to hook them up to the computer, one by one, to small cord.

"I will want you all to use the Cnnt and then go into the DgtWld, as you have a small mission I have devised to put you and the other two Correctors' skills to the test." Nelwa instructed and looked to Karin and Alex. "Welcome as well." She bowed her head. It only took a minute before the phones were back in their owner's hands. Sasha opened up her tiny pink phone and then touched the MChip on the back of her neck. "I have also added an upgrade for all of you which even the Gvn doesn't allow. Feel special." Nelwa smiled. "Before you had to hook up your phones to computers to dive into the DgtWld which makes for untimeliness. With this new upgrade on your application, you are now free to go into the DgtWld anywhere you'd like, be it on the subway or at school, there is a catch of course." She paused. "Your body becomes quite useless in the real world, so it's really best you put on some sunglasses or a hat or make yourself as unnoticeable as possible, because if someone messes with your body in the real world, it will affect how you can function online." She said. "It's hard to describe up allow me to show you what I mean." She paused and motioned for Rey to come over. Rey pulled over a leather chair and sat down in it. Then she took out her phone with the new program and turned it on.

Suddenly Rey's body jerked and it then went limp. Nelwa gestured for the six to look at the screen, there was Rey in her usual Corrector attire. Nelwa then moved closer to Rey and lifted up her arm and then dropped it. In the DgtWld, Rey's arm was then moved beyond her control. "If you get poked or prodded or moved it will directly effect you." Nelwa concluded and Rey logged off and opened her eyes. "So it's best to appear you're asleep but if someone were to purposely "wake you up" then your program would be terminated and you'd have to try to log in again, sadly the upgrade is in the early stages of development so let's hope that we don't hit any snag or bugs." Nelwa hummed. Devon licked his lips, not feeling very assured. Still, it did cut down on the hassle they all had to put up with. "And in you two attending, it means you've both agreed to join the Tokyo's Sector, correct?" Nelwa asked them. "It's a large job, larger than what you've had to deal with before. I'm sure the group can tell you hundreds of tales about being called at night or in the middle of class. If any one of you graduates with a B.A while still a Corrector, I will be pretty amazed." Nelwa said, eyes shining a bit brighter. "Now as I mentioned before, I have come up with a little mock-mission for you all to tackle as a group, because as of now, I have you all as Correctors which means you can be summoned at any moment."

"But...what about the Gvn?" Devon asked. "I mean that know what we did, we know what they did...won't they know we don't belong?"

"They surely don't have any record of imprisoning people and killing them, do they? And I don't recall seeing a mention of them firing a group who has been a great service and has yet to reach a retirement age? You have just been upgraded, it was about time. All I can see is a group of six Correctors, that's all they need to see as well." Nelwa smirked. "I have deleted any trace of evidence and should they come forth with any I somehow missed, well, they know it can be used against them as much as you, the ones they secretly employ. None of you should be worried about the legal or hacking issues." She insisted. "Now you may all go get comfortable and log in, let's hope it's not dragons again." She waved a hand at them. "Introduce yourself once you're online, don't waste my time with things I already know." Nelwa said as she shooed everyone out of her room. Devon looked to Sasha and Sheela and wondered what kind of upgrade would future Sasha pick out for him? Most of the images were horrifying so he decided to go back to the room with the couches. He laid down on one and pulled his phone out accessed the Cnnt and felt everything go limp. Suddenly he opened his eyes and there he was, back in the vast DgtWld, a wide plane of lines above and below them like a long spanning grid. It was endless, it connected them to America if they wanted to visit it.

"It seemed Nelwa had put a mirror in their coordinate range as he could now look at himself. Instead of a short kid with a fishing pole, he was tall and had short dark blue hair. He had a cropped long sleeve jacket on with nice detail. He also had a dark blue tank top around his torso. He then had a sweeping traditional samurai pants under him, wrapping around him. He put his hands to his hair, feeling the feathery weight of the strands. "I don't know why but...Blue Guardian is coming to mind." He muttered with a smile. Blue Guardian then decided to test his abilities. He stepped away from the large mirror and flexed his hands. In his head, he saw images of himself using ice to attack people. He licked his lips, having not felt this excited in a lot time. This seemed to be the breath of fresh air he had been craving. With a deep breath, he flicked his wrist and shards of ice came out of the air. He then jumped back and tried to construct a sword made out of ice. He was in the middle of making it when he saw someone materialize nearby. He wondered who it was. She had long pink hair which floated in the air. It was tied back with a red bow. She then had on red gloves and long red leather boots. The girl had a red tight tank top shirt on which matched her set of tight shorts. She then had on a yellow bow on her top. She had other accents such as a belt and an arm cuff. "Umm?" He began to ask who she was.

"Dev-Dev?" Sasha asked.

"It's Blue Guardian now but let's wait till the others get here." Blue Guardian said. Sasha nodded and when the other four appeared, she gave them time to experiment with whatever they liked. There were two, a boy with black and white attire and a girl with more skin showing but used similar tones of black and white. "You guys must be from the other group of Correctors." Devon said and moved forward, extending his bare hands to them both. "I'm Blue Guardian but um...I used to be Aqualo. My real name's Devon, it's nice to meet you both. Thanks for the help...I think. This is all a bit crazy for us and I'm sure it is for you guys as well." He said.

"Hi there, I'm Sasha, used to be Rush but now I'm..." She paused, putting a red gloved finger to her chin. "Um I'm Inspire." She grinned to them. "I guess we're all gonna be great friends now." Sasha said. In the back of her mind, she wondered about her and Sheela, and wondered if what she had just said may have been a pending lie.

"Everyone seems to have arrived safely." Nelwa's voice came on from the distance above them. "Wonderful, I have devised up a little game, it's a simple maze dungeon of sorts and the first group to complete will win a wonderful prize." Nelwa said. "I want Blue Guardian, Aurora and Mira to be one group. That leaves Horizon, Ash and Inspire as the other group." Nelwa concluded. "Usually the Gvn would teleport you to a desired location but as you know, life isn't that easy so I will give you the location, it's up to you as a group to find it and arrive there without...getting into trouble." She said and her voice faded out. Suddenly there was a *ping* and a semi-transparent screen lit up around the group. It gave their coordinates, 1009-4E and then it gave their destination to begin the maze: 1021-6E. Inspire looked around and wondered if she should set up as leader or let someone else speak up first. It was a delicate situation, the two new Correctors had to be accepted as if they were one of their own already, but she was still sore just thinking about the comment Sheela had made. Sasha didn't want to let her companions down, not again. Then again, Horizon maybe wanted to step up more, which Sasha wouldn't mind at all.

"Mathmatically speaking, it's not that far, but we have to figure out how to create speed, these points are further apart than we think. We can't just run there." Inspire commented.

Meanwhile, Devon wasn't too eager to speak up but Blue Guardian had instilled some new level of determination back into him. "I can use ice to help make a path for us to slide along." He suggested, throwing an idea out there. "What are you guys' strengths and weaknesses?"

[FoxSVK]

Alex Gray - Ash

" What do you think about all of this, Karin ? What will it be about ? " sounded Alex´s voice, interrupting the silence that lasted between them for a few minutes. Not that it was awkward, but he was just curious. " We traveled here through half of the country, but for what ? I hope Rey will be quick to arrive. I am not good at handling pressure like this. " he continued, speaking his mind with Karin as the listener. He was just staring at the wall above his head, but his mind was constantly on the move. Will they train ? Or the Gvn just called them to be disposed of ? More and more ridiculous thoughts popped in his head, but they were all turned into nothing once Rey appeared again and motioned them to follow her. " Finally we´ll find out what is going on here. " thought Alex as they walked through the house, following Rey. The house was rather large, and the room were they headed appeared large as well, just what Alex expected. Rey asked for their phones and they handed them over, curious about the upgrades that are to be made.

Just as they received their phones back, Nelwa entered with four more Correctors. Alex quickly looked upon them - this group definitely saw some action. It was clearly visible on them. They looked like a perfect group, working together for years now. Excitement started to take over Alex - he looked forward to work with them and he also hoped they will get along quiet well. He turned to Karin, smiling at her and nodding - he knew her shy personality was now gone, but he was still worried about her. On the other hand, the rest of the Correctors looked like nice people, so there was nothing to be afraid of. After the group entered, there was some small talk about the personal relations between them, but it was settled by the phrase " It will happen when it will happen " and the group moved on. Then, some of the instructions were only for the " old " Correctors - about their identity change and new skills set. Again, Alex was curious to see them in action. Then once more, everybody handed their phones, this time to Nelwa for another upgrade to the Cnt application with some " bonus features ". There was one thing that needed to be answered. " Yes, yes. You´re right - me and Karin here are joining the Tokyo group from now on. I hope we´ll get along, everybody. " he told them, smiling at them.

The new upgrade turned out to be a great advantage - being able to accept assignments from the Gvn was perfect. On the other hand, should it happen in the middle of an exam and Alex would freak out, that´s for sure. But it also possessed a disadvantage - whatever happens to your real body happens to your Corrector body - like being slightly pushed during a back flip - that would definitely hurt, especially for Alex whom heavily relied on mobility in his job. Once it was explained, together with the relations between the " old " Correctors and the Gvn, they were dismissed once more, only to connect to the DgtWld and meet up for their first mission as a team. Alex, followed by Karin, left for their rooms. Both of them lied down on their respective beds. Alex tapped his Mchip on his neck and then engaged the Cnt application and then, it happened. His body went limb, he could literally feel his consciousness leaving his body and a second later, he appeared in the DgtWld.

He materialized a few seconds later, immediately taking a look at his hands - the white gloves. They were on their place. " It´s good to be back. " he told out loud. His long, black and white outfit was on him once more, together with the golden decoration on his right shoulder - a picture that he drew as a child. His black hair turned completely white, and a tattoo like marking appeared through his right eye. He first tried a few single movements - a few millwheels, a few back and front flips from running, it went perfectly well. Then, he thought about his weapon and it appeared - his old good sword that he got used to. He made a few quick slashes with it. Then, he did his routine warm up. Mid-run, he stabbed his sword into the ground, initiating a side flip and pulling out the sword, slashing it around him and landing - he was a bit clumsy, but he could still feel the movement inside of him. Only then he noticed some members of the group, waiting for the official introductions.

The first was Blue Guardian. He looked like a reliable person, his introduction was very polite - he left a good first impression on Alex. " Nice to meet you, Devon. My name is Alex, Alex Gray. I work under the alias of Ash. " he told, then collected his thoughts. " Yeah, you´re right. It is crazy. I wonder if I can pull of what Nelwa mentioned - being a Corrector and retain my good grades. It really gave me some trouble until now. " he told laughingly. Then Sasha introduced herself, extending her hand, which Alex gently shook - she was a girl after all. " Nice to meet you as well, Sasha ... uhmmm, I meant Inspire. I hope we all get along with all of you while performing our jobs. " he told, before being assigned to the group with Inspire and Horizon, somebody he was not yet familiar with. Then, the debate about their objective - clearing the maze started, with ideas from all members of the team. " That ice sounds great, Blue. As for me, I am afraid I might disappoint you in this - I can make no such cool things as ice. My strong side is my superior agility - with or without improvisation. For example, I can use my sword to reach locations that are otherwise out of reach - by creating a springboard by extending it slightly, or using it as a pole of sorts. I hope I can be of some use. " he finished, waiting for Horizon.


Karin Mizushima

" Oh, Alex, you are so silly sometimes. "

Karin laughed up at his friends ideas about their reason of travel into Aomori. One of them was more ridiculous then the previous one, but that was just Alex. As for Karin, she kept her thoughts for herself. There was something happening indeed, something that needed their presence. In the real world, that is, not simply in the DgtWld. And that something must have been quiet big. It is not unusual for Correctors to work together, but to transfer them from their region to another one, Karin never heard anything like that - not that she was a Corrector for that long. When Rey returned from them, she could literally see Alex almost exploding from curiosity, she could not help it, she chuckled at his reaction. The upgrade must mean that something is really going to change - the only thing Karin wondered about is why Nelwa told them to come to Aomori. They were noticed by an email - as far as Karin remembered, if the Gvn needed something, they would simply summon them into the DgtWld and get the matter solved there. She was curious as well about what it will be about.

Just as she was about to inspect the changes made to her phone by Rey, Nelwa arrived - and she was not alone. The group that was with her impressed Karin - four more Correctors have just arrived, summing the groups total number at six. " Six Correctors at one region ? Is - is that normal ? " she asked out loud, without any response. She took that as a clear no - so many of them in one place. There was something going on, something they are not told yet. Why the girls were talking about something that was cleanly only between them, Karin started to check her phone - nothing seemed out of the usual in it, but before she could checked, Nelwa asked for their phones once more, noting a brand new, special update that she is going to apply on them. Once all six phones were given to her, she quickly made the necessary updates and returned them to their owners - everybody taking it and focusing on her, without even blinking. The air in the room was literally touchable from the tension about the nature of the upgrade. When they heard it, Karin could not hide her surprise.

Indeed, it was a great advantage for them, but on the other hand, they really needed to be careful when using the new Cnt application. Leaving their body just hanging around at random places was dangerous at least. And they Corrector bodies were mirroring everything that happens to their real bodies - which meant they could even die in the Corrector world without being in any danger, should something happen to their real bodies. But still, she was a Corrector - she had to continue her job, even under circumstances like this one. And she will do just that. Upon the demonstration of the weakness of the ability, she followed Alex as they were told to place their bodies into a safe location and to connect using the new Cnt application - something she was curious about. Upon entering their room, she placed herself comfortably on her bed and tapped her Mchip on her neck, and then, she activated the new Cnt - this was the most strangest feeling she ever experienced - more than strange, it was a bit unpleasant. Her consciousness literally left her body, as it went limp.

A second later, she appeared in a familiar surroundings - the DgtWld. There, everything was as she recognized it. Her pink hair grew in length and it changed into silver, her outfit changed as well - it was now more open, more elegant - just the way she liked it. Or at least, elegant for her. She reached behind her head, and could feel the hilt of her trustworthy two - handed sword. Drawing it from her back, the lights on it came to life immediately, making up for the otherwise lacking visual side of the weapon - Karin always preferred function over form, so she at least added a small decoration to her sword in the form of lights. But there was more to it - she swung her weapon around, leaving behind a trail of white light - she can add various effects to the light - making it explode in a small explosion, damaging her foes even if the hit failed to land, or turn them into a source of light to blind them - there were many possibilities, and Karin always explored new ones. Though, due to the versatility of the technique, it lacked in strength - a compensation worthy of Karin´s nature.

A few swings later, she tried out the reactions of her body - they were just as usual, which was good. She then noticed the rest of the group and heading towards them to introduce herself. First was Blue Guardian. Karin, now Mira, looked at him carefully - she seemed to posses a strong spirit and something she would call as a " leader´s charisma ". " Nice to meet you, Guardian. I look forward to work with you. " she responded with her voice kind and friendly - she genuinely meant that. Next to introduce herself was Sasha, or Inspire - she seemed friendly as well, another person Karin looked forward to become friends with. " Nice to meet you. Also, I believe I haven´t introduced myself yet. I am Karin, but you can call me Mira as well. It is a real pleasure to meet you all. Let´s be great colleagues. " she addressed them with her usual smile. She then heard about Inspire´s note of making speed, an tried to come up with a solution. " Inspire, I believe ... I can believe I can create a trail of ice or something else on the ground. That could help us in gaining at least some speed, until I come up with something better. " she finished, waiting for an answer.

[Frenetic Raptor]

Why must it be this way? Silence appeared to be her only company, surrounding her saddening heart. Was there no way to change the course of the future after all? Refusing to believe such rubbish, Sheela let her eyes wander, picking up on Devon’s restlessness as his steps paced aimlessly across the room. Maybe there was another reason why Sasha refused to acknowledge her best friend. Could she have already overstepped her bounds before this very moment in time without even being aware? The notion was frightening to believe, finding herself oblivious to the consequences of her actions. There was no certainty the truth, if spoken aloud, would be any more reassuring than silence alone.

It was then that Devon’s words prevailed through the silence, pushing aside the turmoil steadily building from within. There was no question; Sheela would do her darndest to never let anything tear this group apart, not even herself. Rey and Nathan were putting forth every effort for each and every one of them, so why couldn’t show a little respect and do the same. Sheela found herself agreeing with Devon’s words wholeheartedly, knowing very well that they all were still a team. They may not have regained their corrector status just yet, but she wasn’t going to give up on the opportunity to find her way back into the Digital World once more.

For Nicholas, he was sure glad Devon was able offer his own insights, for who knows what would have happened if he had to intervene instead. With tensions easing to some degree, Nelwa spoke, announcing significant news. Looks like she did it again. The results weren’t surprising, considering her previous success rate so far. Eager to see these other Correctors, he followed everyone out of the room. Along the way, Nelwa’s words spoke of fascinating new upgrades. Just what sort of alias and skill set suited Nicholas? He liked surprises as much as anyone else, but he sure hoped he didn’t receive something entirely absurd. What did he have to worry about, this was Nelwa. There was almost nothing she couldn’t do.

Arriving inside the next room, Nicholas handed over his phone for the necessary adjustments. In the meantime, he greeted both Alex and Karin with a welcoming smile of his own. There remained one concern amidst their growing numbers. Would all of these valiant efforts be enough to ultimately change the course of the future? This was only just the beginning of what he perceived to be quite the perilous journey to come. Even so, Nicholas would not back down from this challenge, ever. With all of the tinkering completed, he held onto his phone once more and listened to all of the modifications explained.

New companions and new upgrades. Sheela found herself fascinated by the great lengths Nelwa continued to go for the sake of every one of them. Wondrous ideas began streaming in at the very mention of acquiring unrestricted access to the Digital World. Just as long as the almighty Gvn didn’t intervene she could get used to this special perk. Not until the mentioning of a particular catch did she think twice. She should have known better; realizing that everything would come at a price equal to its worth. She was hesitant to discover the repercussions, but watched and listened at the real life demonstration.

Watching as Rey had become an unconscious test dummy, she felt uncomfortable at what could happen if one were not careful. Being unresponsive within her personal quarters was one thing, but being vulnerable in public locales was kind of a disturbing notion. Just the simple action of the lifting of Rey’s arm in the real world, under this state, meant uncontrollable reactions from within the Digital World. Sheela could only imagine what sorts of bad things could happen while under duress. Nelwa wasn’t helping her case as she brought up those unwanted nasty bugs. Not since those bloodsucking mosquitoes did she feel so uneasy. Wishing for a quick change of subject, she looked about, curious how the others were handling all of these unpleasant details.

Nicholas took everything into consideration, and heeded the warnings. What else was one supposed to do in this situation? There was far worse that could happen, at any given moment. Play responsibly and the risks would be kept to a minimum. He too wondered about the Gvn and their role, Devon bringing up a relevant point. Nelwa’s words attempted to alleviate their concerns, revealing that none of what happened in the past was of any consequence. Nicholas found less and less to be impossible as he witnessed another feat overcome by Nelwa herself. Part of him wondered if she was even human at all, but a powerful digital entity of extraordinary power that had taken on human characteristics.

Unable to linger, Nicholas was waved away with the others. He was left with only a single thought of another peculiar mission. He gave the idea of fighting dragons a passing glance. Leave it up to Nelwa to try that devious trick again. There was no way he would let his guard down for anything. He would never find out by sticking around in the real world, would he? Desiring to take that all so familiar trip back into the Digital World, he sought out their original holding room, found a comfortable spot, and prepared to venture within with his sister close behind.

Arriving safely and in one piece, Nicholas glanced around, catching sight of everyone’s new appearances. Just as Nelwa had mentioned their new online identities were already well in place and fully functional from what he could see. His eyes went from the others to a close inspection of his own attire, much more fantastical than his previous. No longer did his hair appear of the usual dark brown, but a lighter shade of white, adorned with a headpiece. The sleeveless shirt he once wore, now an open coat equipped with outlandish décor. Pleased with his chosen outfit, he moved on to his style of weaponry.

With a flip of a wrist, what appeared before his eyes was not his trusty old scythe, but a flashy new sword, sharpened for action. Taking a few swings, the sword already provided to be much more reliable, its weight far more balanced. Feeling the need to take things one step further, he concentrated on an imaginary target, seeking out for the wild that wished to be set free. Sparks traced along the blade, the blade primed for the embers to appear, ready to engulf the heated metallic surface. With the power of the flame in full display, Nicholas knew that a far brighter Horizon had emerged.

“Hey brother, look at me!” Sheela playfully danced around with a pair of fans openly displayed, her vibrancy shining through. The pink radiance that was her hair trailed near, flowing in time with her movements, free like the wind in the skies above. No longer would she have to deal with the troublesome burden of a bow and arrow, primitive as it now seemed. Her brother could handle being the physical brute, but she held onto a desire to be much more resourceful not just for herself but for her friends as well, above all else. Sasha could think what she may towards her, though Sheela was going to do her best to keep everyone together.

Keeping a positive attitude, she calmed herself down, and headed towards the others, greeting them sooner rather than later. “Hey guys, don’t leave me out of all of the introductions.” She was eager to meet these two new Correctors and welcome them to the team. She would have done so earlier, but all of Nelwa’s involving formalities delayed such entertaining conversation. “I am Aurora, and next to me is my brother, whom I am unsure of what to call him now.” She raised a brow as her words trailed off, going quiet. He had better speak up for this was no better time for her to pick out a nickname she would feel more fond of choosing. Anything to get a laugh, her only motivation.

“You can just call me Horizon, if that is ok with you Aurora?” He glanced over to his sister and smiled, satisfied at being able to crush her hopes in taking advantage. “It is nice to meet you both, and may we have the best of times together.” He gave Ash and Mira his sincerest greeting. “It is good to be back and let’s make our return to the digital world our most successful venture yet.” His focus shifted towards Inspire and Blue Guardian, reinforcing the importance of getting everyone to focus on being a team. Maybe this little game of Nelwa’s would be the first step in the right direction.

The teams were designated and the ultimate goal was provided. All that needed solving was how to reach this destination point the quickest way possible, and still besting the other team in the process. Nicholas found himself paired up with the new guy Ash, and his leader Inspire. To believe Sasha had become anything less than a leader was not even a consideration. “It appears that I only control the power of fire through my sword. Quick as a burst of flame may be, that is not something I think is of much help for allowing us to travel any faster.” He disliked being at a disadvantage, but unless something got in the way that needed clearing, there was little use for the power of the flame. A fuel source for a locomotive at best.

Unlike her brother, Sheela had a few tricks up her sleeve that might just work out for situations just like this that appeared before her. With the help of Mira and Blue Guardian, there was a good chance they might actually be victorious. Her brother being on the opposition was also a motivational tactic for which she took in stride. “Let’s see what I can do for you guys.” She examined one of her fans and read along, seeking out the right command. She looked up with a cunning smile, pleased to find the various options at her disposal. “I don’t know about everyone else, but haste is the only thing I got. You really think something like that would work?” She paused, giving everyone the opportunity to decide whether she was really that naive or simply being silly.

Refocusing on the task at hand, she spoke up, providing some caution of her own. “The only problem is that I can only do a temporary haste once, on two separate targets. The groups are three each and that would leave one of us out.” Her words went silent while she searched for a way around this challenge. “Maybe we could use the ice to slide along while haste is in effect.” Might be even quicker than haste alone, but how would everyone on the team benefit from the haste command? What if the others pushed the third along for the icy ride? That was easier said than done, if at all possible. Crashing or falling would be a more likely, disastrous result.